Writing Prompt:
Which has proven more consequential to American history: the New Deal and World War II (1933-1945) or the Great Society and the Vietnam War (1964-1975)? Use the assigned biographies of FDR and of LBJ. You may want to think about your response in terms of culture and society, the economy, politics, and foreign relations to answer this question.
Instructions:
Respond to this prompt in a 1,200-word essay. The first part of your paper’s body should use Winkler’s biography of FDR to explain the significance of the New Deal and World War II. Next, use Bullion’s biography of LBJ to explain the significance of the Great Society and Vietnam War. The last part of your paper’s body should argue which one was more consequential for America. Answer the question with a clear thesis statement in the introduction and summarize everything in a concluding paragraph. You may not use outside sources but you may use your textbook and lecture notes to help your argument. This paper is due 23 April. Submit a hard copy and upload a copy to Turnitin.com before class begins. Staple your paper before handing it in.
Grading Rubric:
-Thesis (5 points): Is there a thesis statement that clearly responds to and answers the prompt?
-Argument (35 points): Is the argument consistent with the thesis? Does the paper show solid reasoning, analysis, and interpretation of the materials? Is there a logical flow?
-Use of sources (30 points): Does the paper show an understanding of the sources? Are the sources integrated into the paper’s argument or does the paper simply quote from sources without using, integrating, or explaining them?
-Writing (25 points): Is the writing clear of errors in grammar, punctuation, and syntax? Is the paper well-organized? Does it follow the “Style Guide”? Are there excessive quotations?
-Format/Citation (5 points): Is the format correct? Does the paper use proper in-text citation as explained in the “Style Guide”?
Style Guide:
1. Parameters. Your paper will be in Times New Roman with 12-point font, double-spaced, and have one-inch margins. It will be 1000-1200 words long, or approximately four pages.
2. Thesis statements and topic sentences. Your thesis statement establishes your position; everything should revolve around your thesis statement. You must make it clear and strong so the reader knows how you have answered the essay prompt. The rest of your paper explains your position. A topic sentence is like a thesis statement for a single paragraph. It establishes the importance of that paragraph and how it relates to the thesis statement. The rest of the paragraph is evidence on behalf of that topic sentence. It is important for the writer to make the connections for the reader.
3. Past tense. You are writing about events that happened in the past, so use the past tense.
4. NO passive voice. The passive voice uses “to be” verbs. It is weaker, less certain, and less direct than an active voice. Here is an example of the passive voice: “The hat was placed there by Jim.” A better, clearer, simpler, more direct way is: “Jim placed the hat there.”
5. ONLY third-person voice. This paper should be written in the third-person (he, she, they) and the writer should avoid both first-person and second-person voice. First-person voice includes such words as I, me, us, our, etc. Second-person is the word you. Further, avoid saying “I believe that” or “It is my opinion” since the entire paper is what you believe.
6. “This/That” modifiers. The words “this,” “that,” and their various forms are modifiers. They modify something. You need to add what it modifies. For example, the following can be confusing: “This proves my point.” Rather, you need to say what “this” refers to: “This statistic proves my point.”
7. Quotes do NOT stand alone. You, the author, are to use quotes within your sentences. You are to integrate them into your writing and to explain why it works; but they do not stand alone as their own sentences. Because your papers are not long enough to warrant them, do not use block quotes. Also, quotes will not be more than one sentence in length.
8. In-text citation. You will use in-text citation, which parenthetically denotes the author and the page number. Quotes and in-text citation should look like this:
President Lyndon Baines Johnson understood that America race relations still had a long path but “he had begun the process of freeing his home region and his fellow citizens from the bonds of the past” (Bullion, 86).
9. Plagiarism. Plagiarism is a very serious offense in academics and UNG takes it very seriously. Plagiarism is duplicating someone’s writings or ideas without properly crediting them and passing it off as your own. Plagiarism can include: a) copying word-for-word what someone says without giving them credit; b) copying their idea or concept without giving the author proper credit; c) it can also include copying how someone says something, even if you do give them credit. Penalties are severe, including failing the course. If you have any doubt whatsoever about whether or not something constitutes plagiarism, don’t do it. If you have doubt, a good rule of thumb is to merely quote the individual and cite the author properly.
10. More than one draft. Give yourself time to make changes and revisions. I know enough to spot a rough draft; such papers are graded accordingly. Have a friend read your paper to ensure that you have clearly presented your thesis and arguments and that there are no grammatical errors or visit the Writing Center. In your paper, make sure to eliminate all contractions, colloquialisms, and jargon. The way you speak is not the same as how you write. In case of printing problems, keep an electronic copy on a flashdrive.
Discussion
Chapter 13 and 14 of Our Origins focuses on how the shift to agriculture, which took place only 10,000 years ago, has dramatically increased our success (in terms of survival and reproduction) as a species. Although our transition from foraging and hunting to agriculture has allowed us to grow exponentially as a population, Larsen mentions that there are also many costs that this dramatic change in lifestyle has rendered.
One:For part one of this discussion, describe the biological consequences of global climate change, population increase, and technology.
Two:Then, consider what the future implications may be for humans today if we continue on our current path. Will our success become our demise? Next, considering the resources I have provided in this unit, make your own argument for a solution to our potential downfall.
Title: Essentials of Physical Anthropology: Discovering Our Origins Edition: 3rd (2016) Author: Clark Spencer Larsen ISBN: 978-0-393-93866-1
